Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Week 30 of 52: 3-Hour Cowl

Crazy holiday weekend, but I have a new pattern to share with you, regradless.
This cowl is the perfet thing to share during this busy time between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Week of Dec. 25 to Dec. 31:
Pattern: 3-Hour Cowl by Ijeoma Oluo
Yarn: 1 ball of Rowan Purelife Revive (137 yds/50g, 36% recycled silk, 36% recycled cotton, 28% recycled viscose)
Needles: US 10.5 16 inch circ and/or US 19 (any size circular)
Notes:
A) My most important piece of advice on executing this pattern - in leiu of row 2, work row 2 simply by knitting across the row with the US 19.
B) For row 3, basically, over the next 4 sts,  without slipping anything off the needles, knit in this order: st 3, st 4, st 1, and st 2. Or, place sts 1 and 2 on a cable needle and hold to the back. Work sts 3 and 4, then work sts from the cable needle.
Happy New Year!


Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays from everyone here at Anacapa Fine Yarns!


From Terry, Karin, Lois, Anne, and Kaity!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 24!

I hope that all of your holiday preparations are ready, because, for those of us who celebrate Christmas out of the myriad of wonderful holidays to be had during December, time is up!!! If you need to run in for a last minute yarn fix, Lois will be manning the shop until 2 pm.

I thought that sharing this video that Terry first shared with me would be a good way to wrap up our Knitmas Countdown this year. I think that it might be a fun link to share with anyone to whom you might be gifting  a scarf or shawl.



My favorites are:
1. The Waterfall
2. The Magic Trick
3. The Fake Knot
4. The Braid
5. Twist and Pull

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Friday, December 23, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas, Day 23!

Hi guys! It's Christmas Eve-Eve! Yay! I'm so excited for Christmas, are you?

A few days ago, Anne posted a few of her favorite Christmas songs, and it inspired me to pick out a few of my favorites to share with you all! Some of these have long been my in my Christmas Shuffle, some are new to me, but I love them all!

Bing Crosby and David Bowie- Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
I love Bowie, and this song is so lovely, it always makes me happy!

 Christmas Wish- She & Him
 
  She & Him are Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, and I love their vocals together. A lot of their songs on this album are sung by only Zooey, which is still great, but this is my fav from this album.

 Winter Wonderland- Aretha Franklin
 
My new favorite version of this classic!

 Paul McCartney- Wonderful Christmastime
If you know me, you probably know that the Beatles are my favorite band, if you really know me, you probably know that Paul is my second favorite Beatle. :)

 This last one is for my Fiance, James, his favorite: Elton John- Step into Christmas

I hope you guys enjoyed, and have a great day! <3: Kaity

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 22!

I had the best of intentions of making simple ornaments each day at our house to deck the tree daily, but that only happened here and there throughout the last 3 weeks. I found 24 ideas though, scouring the internet.


This idea is my favorite - the Woolly Sheep. With the help of the most awesome pom-pom maker I have ever had the pleasure of using (Clover Pom-Pom Maker), I was able to make a whole flock of varying sizes.  Using this tool, you can skip most of the details in step 1, just do the make a pom-pom part. As a side note, I think that I have tried making pom-poms in all the ways that are out there from using your hand or cardboard as a guide to the concentric circles and a tapestry needle to a pom-pom tree to these Clover gems.

Ingredients: Pom-Pom Maker, White (and black for the black sheep), felt for faces, pipe cleaner for legs, and ribbon for hanger.


I decided not to use the bell for attaching the heads. Instead, I used a 3rd piece of pipe cleaner to act as a neck and glued the head to that. I also decided to slip the pipe cleaner legs, neck, and the ribbon hanger into the appropriate halves before tying the center; then, it was all attached tightly and securely at the same time.


With the tiniest pom-pom makers, I decided that they would be just as fun a little snowballs.
Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 21!

So, Christmas is on Sunday, and you still need some gifts, but the mall is too scary this week! Sound familiar? You might have to just settle with giving a gift card, which is no fun, but at least it's something! Well, I have a pattern for you to spruce up those gift cards and make them a lot more fun!



How cute are these? I found this free pattern on Ravelry by Julie Tarsha, and was so excited about them! How much more fun is it to give a gift card wrapped in some cable-y goodness than a boring cardboard sleeve?? Plus, once your recipient retrieves their gift card, they can use their card-igan to store other stuff, like iPod, credit card, driver's licence, etc. I'm pretty sure I'll be knitting up a few of these cuties.

Happy Furious Knitting!
<3: Kaity

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 20!

Last year, I shared some of my holiday movie viewing. This year I want to share some holiday listening/viewing, aka some Youtube carol videos. I became a little addicted to listening to these videos as my needles click away when I stumbled onto this forum post on the Rav.
Then, on NPR, they reported about the success of this independent video by Sean Quigley. It sounds even better directly from Youtube and the video is kinda pretty. The drummer boy did the whole thing from filming to playing all he instruments that you hear.


While I was looking for the link to the above video, I found this version of the same song by the Cranberries (which I love to listen to as a band and I really love to eat as a berry).


Then, I found these that are favorites of Kevin's:




If you follow the first link and these additions, you'll have some Tuesday holiday cheer in no time!

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 18!

Here is a tip that I have heard tossed around by a few knitters in the past but have rarely seen in action: with your pattern or notes in a plastic sleeve and a dry erase marker, you can make notes, highlight, and mark off your rows as you work. Then, when you are done, you can wipe it clean so that it is ready for you to cast on for next time with a fresh slate. This is knitter Rose in progress on her Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. This way, even her class notes, given to supplement the pattern she bought for class, are kept safe and sound.

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Week 29 of 52: Appointment Hat, a 24 Stitch Hat


What can you do with US 19/15mm circular needles and 33 yds of bulky yarn?
This hat. It seems that I am on a quest to see just how few stitches one really needs to cast on and still end up with a hat. Here we have 24 sts and 15 rows. Karin dubbed it the Appointment Hat the moment she saw it, imagining that she could whip one up as she waited for her turn at any given appointment.
Yarn: 1 ball of Gedifra Benevito (33 yds/50g; 50% Wool, 40% Acrylic, 10% Alpaca)
Note: If you decide that you want it longer, then you will need a second ball or a yarn with more yardage in the same weight. It is very stretchy and covers most of my ear when I pull it on.
Needles: US 19/15mm 16" Circular and matching double pointed needles OR US 19/15mm 32" or longer (for magic loop)
Gauge: 4 stitches= 3 inches
Cast on 24 sts. Join in the round as you work round 1.
Round 1 and 2: *K2, P2, repeat from * around; the first time around remember to place a marker to indicate the beginning of the round.
Round 3 and 4: *P2, K2, repeat from * around.

Repeat rounds 1-4 two more times. (If you are going to make it longer, then repeat 1-4 one more time after that.)

Decrease rounds:
Round 1: *K2, P2tog, repeat from * around (18 sts)
Round 2: *K2, P1, repeat from * around
Round 3: *K2tog, repeat from * around (9 sts)

Cut a tail (or use the tail that remains) and thread remaining stitches onto the tail and pull it up tight like pulling on a drawstring. Weave in the ends and enjoy!

© 2011 Anne Lecrivain-Cozzoli For Personal use only. Do not duplicate or distribute. Items made from this pattern should not be for resale, but can be used for charitable contribution or fundraising.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 16!

Even if you only know me through the last few Knitmas posts, you now that I am about producing quality knitted items as fast as possible.  Along with fast hats, fingerless mitts are fast and stylish gift item.



I want to share a selection of patterns that you can swiftly plug into any missing gift spots and stresslessly have them completed and wrapped with time to spare for an egg nog.

Here is a sampling of freebies:
75 Yard Malabrigo Fingerless Mitts - You could get 3 pairs out of one skein and probably 7 out of 2 skeins.
Spatterdash Wristwarmers - pretty place to use buttons.
Camp Out Fingerless Mitts - this pattern you may remember as a favorite from here.
toast - This set is a favorite of Terry's.
Straightforward Mitts - These are gorgeous, but may need the most time of this list as they use fingering weight.
Bella's Mittens - These are mittens that you could end early.
Treads, a tipless gloves pattern - These are an elegant item and I like they way she named them.
White Rabbit Wristees - These are an excuse to use some yummy lace weight mohair!

Here are some even grander patterns that are for sale (remember that you can purchase many Ravelry patterns when you are here at the store and they land in your library just like they do when you buy them at home).

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 15!

Today I want to share with you some of my go-to patterns I use for gift-giving. I go back to them time and again mostly because of their ease, the fact that they work up quickly, and give you great results that people love to receive! First up are everyone's favorite: Felted Clogs.

A Pair for Me!

A Pair for my sister!

These clogs are not a super easy and mindless project, but they are very speedy to knit and deliver such crowd-pleasing results! I've made 2 or 3 pairs for myself, a pair for my sister, my dad, my fiance, and his dad, and I'm working on another pair right now, too. This pattern is for sale here at the shop, and if you only have a week or two to knit a gift, this is a great option.

Next we have Coffee Cup Cozies:

If you need a gift, like, NOW, these are so fun to knit! Grab some yarn from your stash of leftovers and GO. This pattern is a free one on ravelry, but there are many others out there. I knit this one up in an hour or so.

For you Crocheters out there, here's the One Skein Scarf:

This truly is one of my all time favorite patterns, because it is so fun, fast, and easy to crochet! These little scarves are so cute, take one skein of something nice, and make great gifts!

And last but not least, a quick scarf for you knitters:

This is a free pattern online, called the Karaoke Cable Scarf. These are quick little cable scarves, and I bet you can crank out a few before Christmas!

I hope I've helped in your quest for quick gift knits (and one crocheted!)
<3: Kaity



Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 14!

It is 11:30pm at night and I realize that I need to make a hat as a teacher gift. I have the perfect yarn but I do not have the right 16" circular needles or double points. But I have a 40" circular needle in just the right size. This will do the trick for both the missing shorter circular and DPNs. How you say? Magic Loop!!!

I hunted for the best video on Youtube (also with the most views) Note: she mentions Knit Picks needles; we are carrying the Knitter's Pride Needles which are nearly identical in wood.
Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Week 28 of 52: Clara Cowl


This week, I bring you the Clara Cowl. It is a delicious little delight the uses a reversible cable. This cowl was really fun to make, but I think that it would be just as fun to get double or triple the yardage and make an equally delicious scarf. While I was modeling it on the glass girl there, I found that it could be worn as a headband, too, which makes me look forward to having one to wear on walks in the new year.

Week of December 11 to 17:
Project: The Clara Cowl by Gretchen Ronnevik
Yarn: 1 ball of Rowan Cocoon (126 yds/100g; 80% Merino, 20% Mohair)
Needles: US 13/9mm
Knitting Plan:
Night 1: Cast on and work one pattern repeat.
Night 2: same as night 1.
Night 3: let's do night 1 again.
Night 4: the work of night 1 and, then, set it down. Make a cup of tea, meditate a little, and then graft the ends together just exactly as the designer directs you to.
Notes:
a) I did my favorite provisional cast on without referring to the video that she suggests. I used the invisible provisional cast on. The only thing that I did differently from the video that I link to is make my slip knot with my waste yarn and real yarn. You will notice that I used my favorite waste yarn - some satin ribbon. Also, I left about a 1 yd tail in that slip knot because I wanted to make sure that I had reserved enough to work the Kitchener at the end.

b)To aid in my counting, I would hang a locking ring marker on a purl stitch just as I had finished working a cable row. Then, I was able to count the purl bumps above it to keep track of my rows between cable instructions.
c) Try not to fret about the gap that you might see after you cable; that will all settle in and disappear as the cabled fabric relaxes and it is an inevitable side effect of moving so many stitches out of their previous position into another spot.

d) Be brave when it comes to the grafting. The only thing that I would add to her excellent instruction is to bring the outermost "top" and "bottom" needles together to make the first pair.

e) My Kitchener/grafting needs some work, but it gets the job done!



If you are viewing this post far from driving distance from our store, then please remember that we will happily take phone orders. Call us @ (805) 654-9500. (There will be a postage charge for shipping.) Also, I want to mention that we have refined the 10%off sale to apply when you are buying the yarn for the featured project.
P.S. If this idea really lights you up, then you can also join a ravelry group here.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 13!

We're over half way there! Are you still with us? Well good, because today I don't just have a BLOG post for you, I have a VLOG (video-blog) post! What to buy for the knitter or crocheter in your life! I hope you enjoy!



<3: Kaity

Monday, December 12, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 12!

Cable needles! They are a tool that you need in your knitting notion bag if you don't have already OR that your friend needs in the goody bag that you are making for her (or him).

I love cabling! The ladies and I just (like minutes ago) wrapped up making and lining Brea Bags and I want to share the thrill of using these handy tools.

There are many tools for helping you cable (in case you aren't brave enough to try this technique freehand). 


Pictured (from left to right): Jumbo "U" (I like to call it a Shepherd's Hook), "U", Lantern Moon Cable Needles, Cable Stitch Holders, and Double Pointed Needles.

I find that the "U" shaped holders or needles are the best style for those who knit in the Continental style. English knitters or throwers can use any style that delights them. I also included double pointed needles as they are a very versatile tool - acting as a cable needle is just one of their many talents.

Also, cables can make really beautiful gifts - like the Reversible Cable Scarf which has still 4 openings (Wednesday, December 14 @ 6-9pm). This scarf makes up really fast if you have to hurry up and fill any gift spots.

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne
P.S. I know that 52 in 52 is late again - tomorrow - I promise. ;)



Sunday, December 11, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas, Day 11!

Hi guys! Today I just wanted to write a quick post to tell you about some worthy charities that could use your help during the colder months! There are so many people less fortunate than us, and it's important to remember them, this time of year especially! So here are a couple of charities that you can knit for:

Stitches from the Heart
Stitches collects knitted and crocheted baby items for hospitals all over the country. Check out their website to find out more!

Afghans for Afghans
Afghans for Afghans sends handknit and crocheted blankets, sweaters, mittens, etc to bring warmth to the beleaguered people of Afghanistan.

Warm up America
Warm up America distributes handmade items to tons of charitable organizations around the nation, including homeless shelters, battered women's shelters, children's hospitals, and other people in need. This organization is great because they accept blanket squares and join them together, so you don't have to knit a whole blanket.

There are a ton more organizations out there that could use your help, here's a link to a whole list. How easy is it to knit up a quick preemie hat or afghan square? I love knitting because there is such a large community of people that can do so much good! Thanks for reading this, and I hope I inspired you to do some charity knitting!

<3: Kaity

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 10!

More on speedy gifts - the craze for beautiful ruffled scarves may or may not be news to you. We have accumulated quite a selection of stunning ribbons that are cleverly and easily worked into impressive scarves.

Pictured above(clockwise from the top): Berroco Link, Berroco Lacey, Flounce, Katia Ronda, Triana Lux, Rowan Kidsilk Creation, Katia Ondos

Pictured above(left to right): Triana, Ronda, Link, Lacey, Kidsilk Creation; (top) more Lacey, (bottom) Flounce.

Oh, you say that you have already made a dozen of these as scarves in their many textures? Well, did you try Karin's lovely Kelp Forest Shawlette? Using 2 balls of Triana, it spirals out from the center to create a ruffling, circular shawl. She has a wonderful tutorial that is useful for making that shawl, but also as a good refresher on how this interesting yarn works in general. Youtube has many other tutorials to offer on the basic scarf, as well. With the exception of Link (which you just knit normally with), they all work pretty much the same way as Triana.


Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Friday, December 9, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 9! Utilizing Ravelry

Hi guys! Today I want to help you out with a great tool that you can use to organize your gift knitting, Ravelry.com. I know that most of you are already on Ravelry, but if there are some of you out there that aren't, what are you waiting for?!

Today I'm going to show you my favorite aspect of Ravelry, pattern searching and organizing! Follow along with the pictures, and click on them to see them larger.

So, let's say you want to find a pattern for a Christmas Ornament. Let's start under the "patterns" tab.
Click on the "pattern browser & advanced search" link to start.


Then, you can use the filters on the left side to choose what you want. For our example, I clicked on "Home" under Category, chose "Decorative" and clicked on "Hanging Ornament". There are many other filters you can choose from, like filtering it so it only shows you free patterns, or crochet patterns, etc.

Yay! We've found a pattern! Now, let's "Favorite" it so we can find it again! On the top right, click on "Add to Faves", then tag it as something. I chose "Christmas2011" as my tag, but you can write in anything you want that makes sense to you. I have a bunch of little things I want to knit for gifts in my faves that I've used that same tag for.

Now, click on "My Notebook" at the top of the page and go to your favorites.
On the left side you'll see an list of your tags (if you can't tell, I have a Lot of tags!), and you can see our "Christmas2011" tag. Give that a click.

And here you can see all of my things tagged "Christmas2011". I love using tags and favorites, because it makes it so easy to organize the things I want to make! I have tags for different people's names, or just basic tags like "hat" or "cardigan". 

I hope this helps you in your quest! Have a great time searching and favorite-ing!
<3: Kaity

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 8!


Fast gifts, we need fast and fabulous gifts. I am always on the look out for an equally speedy and attractive present pattern. Above, we have an ambitious knitter who is working away at making gifts for an "All Craft" Christmas. This mission has brought her back to knitting with a fire under little busy fingers as she works to generously complete her presents. She is wearing the Lacey 48 st Hat.
As for the fast gift quest, these are some that have been tremendous hits:
Wham Bam Thank You Lamb! Neckwarmer
Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Scarf

All of the ideas listed above have some important elements for success - big needles, one skein of their suggested yarn, and cute!

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas! Day 7: Christmas Gifts to Knit for Kids

Today I want to talk about cute, fun, and quick gifts to knit or crochet for the kids in your life! No kid is dying for a new pair of socks or a sweater, but how about a toy?? There are so many patterns out there for knitted and crocheted toys, and I thought I'd share some of the ones I've made with you and link to some of my other favorites!


Here we have Pasha, who I knit for a good friend of mine who collects penguins. The free pattern for Pasha is from Knitty.com, and can be found here.


Sheldon is another free pattern from Knitty.com, complete with removable shell! I knit him for my fiance James, who has a things for all things scaley and reptilian.


A couple of years ago I crocheted this cute kitty from this Japanese pattern that has been updated in English. You can find the pattern for "Amineko" here.


Bubby is another one from Knitty.com that is so fun and quick to knit up, he's quite small when he's finished, so he'd make a great stocking stuffer!

The last one I have to show you is Stegs, who is so cute! Make her pink for a girl, or a more traditional dino color for a boy!

For other cute toy patterns, be sure to check out Ravelry.com, where I'm sure you can find anything your heart desires! Here's a few of my favorites.


Hopefully I've provided you with some inspiration! Have a fun day, everyone, and I'll see you on the 9th!
<3: Kaity

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Countdown to Knitmas: Day 6!

I have been saving this picture for months to share with you during Knitmas. It is Karin showing one of her favorite ways to knit on the move, making excellent use of the sleeves of her beautifully knit Caftan Pullover (by Norah Gaughan). This photo was taken way back near the beginning of the 52 in 52 as she is managing 3 balls of yarn as she works on the top of her own version of the Bell Tank.

Other than being a fun picture of Karin knitting, it is also relevant to our holiday yarn projects. Having a way to carry your knitting with you easily will let you do tons more in places that you may not have previously considered as viable time. I usually use one of the lovely bags pictured below that will dangle from my wrist which turn morning walks and trips to the playground into easy knitting time. These are the ways that we get things done!

Karin and I aren't the only knitting nuts who carry our yarn as we walk about; if you stopped by to visit our booth at Relay for Life this year or last, you would have seen many members of our team with little drawstring bags traveling around the track.

Happy Holiday Needling,
Anne